Carry Me Home
by carlotta1924
Summary: Alex gets drunk after a DEO mission goes wrong. Two-shot.
1. Chapter 1

**_Disclaimer: Supergirl is not mine._**

* * *

"Do not shoot, Agent Danvers! I repeat, do not shoot!" Hank's tense voice boomed in Alex's ear piece.

"No sir, we've got this! We have the alien surrounded!" Alex ran in a wide arc in the wooded area, gun at the ready, making sure to stay out of the alien's wide reach. The other members of the unit spread out to their respective positions.

"The alien is far too strong for you and your unit to take on. Your new directive is to capture the hostile alive after Supergirl incapacitates it. Supergirl is on her way there as we speak."

"We don't have the luxury of time, sir," Alex replied, already crouching behind a big boulder and taking aim. "We need to act now!"

"Agent Danvers, the alien is just discovered to have..."

But Alex had already fired the first shot. She was followed suit by the other agents. The alien exploded in a flash of light, leaving only a pile of smoking ash. Alex heaved a sigh of relief, thinking that the alien had been eliminated.

However, the supposed pile of smoking ash moved as if it were possessed; it separated into three piles of ash before regenerating themselves to three more aliens, each one stronger than their predecessor. The three began shooting laser beams from their fingertips, effectively hitting the DEO agents through their hidden positions. Cries of pain reached Alex's ears before she herself was hit on the shoulder. She gasped and clutched at her shoulder, which was already bleeding profusely.

Luckily for them, Supergirl and their backup team have already arrived on the scene. Those in Alex's unit who weren't injured assisted, thus effectively neutralising the three aliens as per Director Henshaw's orders.

Alex could only watch numbly as she was being led to one of the DEO vehicles. She was in big trouble.

To Hank's credit, he waited until Alex and the rest of the injured field unit members were treated before he said anything. Kara stayed beside him until Alex was released from the med bay, then he called her over.

"What happened out there, Agent Danvers?" Hank demanded without preamble.

Alex shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "Sir, the alien... it regenerated."

Hank threw his hands up in frustration. "Precisely why I ordered you not to shoot and to capture it alive instead. Why did you do otherwise?"

"I-I thought we have it covered, sir."

"Apparently not." Hank stared pointedly at Alex's injury. "You have disobeyed a direct order, Agent Danvers," he continued. "You could have gotten everyone killed in your unit. In the light of all this I think you better go home for the meantime."

"What... I can handle this, Director Henshaw," Alex pleaded. "It was just one little mistake."

"Yes, a little mistake that could have had a big repercussion if Supergirl and your backup hadn't arrived in time. You should have listened to me instead of winging it out there. If I am not mistaken, you were being overconfident in the field earlier tonight."

Alex could not think of a comeback because in her heart of hearts it was true.

Hank looked at Alex, concern etching his face. "Go home, Alex," he repeated. "Get some rest and take your time."

"If this is what I get for all the hard work I've put in for this department, then I'm done here." Alex turned on her heel and left.

"Alex..." Hank started, but Kara laid a hand on his arm.

"Let her go, Director Henshaw," Kara said. For she knew that Alex needed her space whenever she felt bad. She just stared sadly at her older sister's retreating back, wondering how she could help her out of this particular rut in her career.

After driving aimlessly for two hours, Alex found herself in front of a decrepit-looking bar on the outskirts of National City. She stared hard at the blinking neon sign that says liquor with an arrow under it that points to the entrance. The sign blinked on and off. Come in, Alex, it seemed to say. Just one drink and everything will be a-ok.

The decision was not hard to make. Emotions were still running high in her system, creating a maelstrom that needed to be quenched. Forgotten. This is something that crying over a pint of mint chip ice cream will not cure. Alex parked and entered the bar.

"Give me whatever you've got. As long as it's strong," Alex told the bartender brusquely as she settled on a stool.

The bartender gave Alex a glass of scotch on the rocks which she downed in one gulp. The scotch burned down Alex's throat like wildfire, but she didn't care. For her, it was better to feel that than to remember her huge blunder on the mission due to her overconfidence.

Overconfidence. Alex never needed it before Kara arrived, because she was secure with her parents and at how proud they are of her achievements. But after Kara's arrival, she had felt the constant need to prove that she can do everything. From protecting Kara, to getting straight As in school, scoring the most number of goals in her soccer team, to even something as small as helping her parents do household chores. She has to be the best. The star.

But tonight, being overconfident almost led her and her unit to their graves. Overconfidence is unacceptable especially in her line of work since it leads to mistakes, which she did eventually commit. And that is something that she could not live with. Because of this she does not even know if Hank would want her back at the DEO.

"One more," Alex barked at the bartender.

The second scotch didn't burn her throat as much as the first one, yet she told the bartender to top off her glass one more time. Alex glared ruefully at her third scotch. If she only listened to Hank's orders, waited for Kara to arrive, then she would not be in this rut. What happened was all her fault. It was not like her to commit this kind of error; Hank had trained her to be better than that.

Alex did not remember how many drinks she'd had after the third one nor how long she stayed in the bar. When she did decide to leave, she exited the bar at the exact moment when a couple of guys were in the act of breaking into her car. One of them had already broken the window on the driver's door and was about to get in.

"Hey!" Alex yelled with as much strength she could muster, "What the hell are you doing? That's my car! Go away!"

The guy who broke her car window leered at her. "It's ours now, lady, so _you_ go away." He gunned the engine.

As intoxicated as Alex is, she still managed to stumble towards the man in the driver's seat and tried to drag him from the car. "Get out! I have to go home!"

"So do we!" the guy shouted, pushing Alex roughly to the ground. "Wherever that is," he said to his partner and both of them laughed cruelly. They sped off into the deserted avenue, leaving Alex alone gasping and heaving on the sidewalk.

Alex curled into herself in misery, taking care not to jar her injured shoulder. Her muddled mind tried its best to make sense of what had just happened. First she gets practically suspended from the work she loves, albeit justifiably so; so she decides to have a little fun to forget it and then what happens? Her car gets stolen. Where is the justice in that? None. None at all.

The gravity of the situation combined with her being inebriated weighed heavily on her that she literally did not have the strength to get up anymore. Not caring if anyone saw her curled up in a ball on the sidewalk, Alex closed her eyes and sank into unconsciousness.

She did not wake when a car, with its driver's window broken, stopped in front of her. She remained out cold when the person who was driving the car got out and loaded her onto the car's back seat.

As quietly as it had arrived, the car drove off into the night.

* * *

 ** _chapter 2 coming up soon._**

 ** _thanks for reading :)_**


	2. Chapter 2

**_chapter 2, everyone. enjoy! :)_**

* * *

The throbbing ache in Alex's shoulder slowly brought her to her senses. She opened her eyes, only to be blinded by the bright sunlight streaming in from the windows. In an effort to shield her face, Alex turned over in the bed she's lying on but stopped when she felt a big, soft pillow by her side. She rolled back to discover another pillow on the other edge of the bed. Defying the light that blinded her, she gradually opened her eyes. And looked around in confusion.

She was surrounded by pillows. In her own bed. In her bedroom. In her apartment.

How did I get here? Alex thought. She tried to ignore the pounding of a million hammers as she gently cradled her head in her hands.

Alex did not have to wait long for an answer because when she caught the scent of freshly brewing coffee, everything that had transpired the previous night came crashing down. She let out a cry of outrage that quickly turned into a whimper of pain when a stabbing sensation hit the back of her head. She fell back onto her pillows in despair as tears formed in the corners of her eyes. Alex had never felt so wretched in her entire life.

As if on cue, Kara came in hurriedly with a steaming cup of coffee. "Alex! What happened?" she placed the coffee on the night stand and immediately sat by her sister's side.

"Kara, always here to save the day." Alex meant for it to sound stronger than she felt, but it had the opposite result. She cleared her throat. "Nothing, um, I'm just achy all over. Can you tell me how I got here?"

"I took you home last night. You were so out of it that I decided to stay and watch over you."

Alex narrowed her eyes. "Don't tell me you flew me in."

"Nope, I used your car. Here, drink this while it's hot." Kara handed Alex the cup of coffee.

"My car. But it was stolen last night."

Kara smiled brightly at her older sister. "Not anymore."

"How... oh, never mind." Alex sipped her coffee. "Ah, this is good. Thanks. For getting my car back and for this." She took another sip.

"Do you think you can handle some food?" Kara asked. "I made bacon and eggs."

Alex looked at her sister gratefully. "Yes, that would be great. I love you!"

Kara's sunny smile faded a little at this. "I-uh, I'll get your breakfast now."

The slight dimming in Kara's eyes was not lost on Alex. She placed the empty cup on her night stand and plopped back on the pillows once more. Something must have happened when Kara brought her home. She just couldn't put her finger on what exactly since everything had been hazy since her third scotch.

Although it might be really nothing, something in the back of Alex's mind told her that something was bothering her sister. Normally Kara was all sunshine and smiles; this morning, she was all business. So when Kara returned with a tray of food, Alex fixed a smile on her face which she hoped was an encouraging one.

"Wow, Kara, that looks really good."

"If I do say so myself." Kara grinned, but it did not reach her eyes this time. She placed the tray on the bed. "Here, dig in." she left the room before Alex could even begin to ask her what's the matter.

Kara was also in and out of Alex's room in a matter of seconds aside from an uttered "Let me just put these in the sink" when she returned to get the empty dishes. Alex furrowed her brows. There was definitely something troubling Kara. Ignoring the aches that subtly jolted her from time to time, she followed her younger sister to the kitchen. She crossed her arms and leaned against the kitchen sink beside Kara, who was now washing dishes.

Kara raised an eyebrow in Alex's direction. "What?"

"You know, you've never been good in keeping things from me, so do share it with the class please."

"Am I that transparent?"

"You're stalling, dear sister."

"Oh, fine." Kara wiped her hands on the towel hanging from the sink and walked over to the couch.

Alex sat down beside Kara, looking at her expectantly. "So?"

"Well..." Kara began, looking down at her clasped hands. "We, or rather, _you_ had words with me."

"What did I say?"

"But you know, you were pretty drunk, so I'm sure you did not mean anything by what you said." Kara tried to dismiss the matter with a wave of her hand.

" _Kara..._ "

Kara took a deep breath and told her the story.

 _As Kara drove towards Alex's apartment, she heard Alex murmuring. Kara used her super hearing to catch Alex's words clearly._

 _"What is it?"_

 _"Hank. He must hate me right now," Alex slurred, her eyes closed._

 _"No, he doesn't." Kara assured her._

 _"Yes, he does," Alex insisted sleepily. "He must think I'm the worst agent ever. Three years of hard work in the DEO and I blew it in one lousy night. I totally suck. I'm going to be so fired."_

 _"You just had a rough patch. You'll get through this, I promise."_

 _"Forget it. More scotch, please." Alex said before blacking out once more._

 _A different Alex woke up however when they arrived at the apartment. More awake, and a cranky one at that. Alex tried her best to push Kara away, who was simultaneously holding her up and opening the door of her apartment. "Scram, Kara Zor-El. I can take care of myself."_

 _"You're not the only one qualified to take care of yourself, Alexandra Danvers," Kara said. "You're my sister. Let me take care of you."_

 _"Oh, don't you dare call me your sister," Alex sneered even as Kara led her inside the apartment. "You were never my sister. Not for a single moment have I ever considered you as one. For the longest time it was just me and my parents, and I had them and their praises all to myself. Then you decided to drop in from the sky just like that..." she snapped her fingers, "In a matter of minutes my life was turned upside down. From there it was all about you, you, you. Take care of Kara, look out for her, she just lost her family, blah, blah, blah."_

 _"I know that, Mom, please stop already!" Alex's sneering expression crumpled, and tears fell from her eyes in torrents. She sank to the floor. "I know that, I know that, I know that! I've tried_ so hard _to do my best in everything, but it was never enough!" she cried, hitting the floor with her fist along with every syllable. "Why does Kara have to come and ruin everything? Why can't I be enough? Why?"_

 _It was all Kara could do not to cry with her sister. While she knows about Alex's hang-ups about her, she had never really realised its extent until tonight. This probably explained Alex's actions during the latest DEO assignment. Kara remained speechless as she watched Alex fall apart on the floor of her apartment._

 _The storm of tears passed after a few minutes, and Alex lay still, sniffling once in a while. Kara lifted her off the floor and carried her to her bed._

 _"You're going to be okay, Alex," Kara whispered as she gently tucked her in._

 _There was no response, for Alex had given in to the alcohol-induced sleep yet again._

"And so here we are," Kara finished, smiling tremulously at her older sister. She waved her arms in a helpless gesture.

Alex stared at Kara in shock. "Kara. I don't know what to say."

"You don't need to say anything, Alex," Kara said quietly. " I've had some time to think it over while you were sleeping. I understand where you're coming from. It sure wasn't easy for you to live a normal life with a sibling from another planet. I know, because I could sense your struggle especially in my first few months with you and your parents. Really, wants to have a weird sister, right?" she laughed.

Alex snorted. "Man, the things you used to say! I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole."

"I would love to see that!" Kara ducked when Alex playfully took a swipe at her. "So anyway, even if you were under the influence when you said all those things to me, I... I forgive you."

Alex sobered at that statement and gave Kara the puppy-dog look. "I'm sorry."

"It's all right," Kara said, enveloping Alex in a hug. "I am confident that you didn't mean anything by most of them, especially that bit about not considering me as your sister. I'm... right about that, aren't I?"

"Of course. Never doubt that, Kara." Alex laid her head on Kara's shoulder. She was thankful and relieved that her sister remained by her side after her outburst that she didn't remember much of. "I really love you, you know. Even if you're weird most times."

Kara cuddled her older sister closer. "Yes, I know."

"So what am I gonna do about Hank and the DEO?" Alex asked glumly.

"Well, like he said, take all the time you need. You'll still have a job when you're ready to return."

Alex sniffed. "Just like that, huh?"

"Yeah. Because you are awesome like that." Kara turned to look at Alex in the eye. "Do not sell yourself short, okay? Ever. Remember this, you may make mistakes along the way but you always learn from them. That's what makes you one badass lady, Alex. And you are more than enough without even trying."

"Oh, Kara..." Alex lost her power of speech.

The sisters settled into a comfortable silence for a while before Alex spoke up.

"Hey, Kara?"

"Hm?"

"When you were telling me about last night, I remember the time you were affected by the red kryptonite. I couldn't help but think that it seemed like I was affected by it myself last night, only worse."

Kara smirked. "What an awful comparison, Alex. You were just stinking drunk. Which reminds me," she made a show of sniffing the air. "You need a shower."

"Whatever, Kara. Your badass sister is having a moment here. Don't take it away from me."

* * *

 ** _as ever, thanks for reading :)_**


End file.
